Embodiments of the present invention relate generally to methods and systems for handling emergency calls and more particularly to handling emergency calls from a mobile Voice-over Internet Protocol (VoIP) device.
Emergency calls placed to 9-1-1 from a fixed circuit switched landline over the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) may be routed to a proper public safety system such as a dispatcher for local fire or police agencies based on a known physical location at which the PSTN landline is installed. Similarly, Voice-over Internet Protocol (VoIP) devices must register a permanent address (or other known physical location) during initial activation of the mobile VoIP device. Emergency calls placed from the device use this registered address to route the call to the appropriate public safety system sometimes known as a Public Safety Answering System (PSAP). This registered address may be updated by the user accessing the VoIP service provider account and editing profile information at any time. However, this is not always done when the user moves or takes the mobile VoIP device to a new location. Therefore, this address may be erroneous in situations in which there is no cellular service and the mobile VoIP device is connected to a WiFi access point that is not at or near the registered address. Hence, there is a need for improved methods and systems for handling emergency calls from a mobile VoIP device.